Men’s Volleyball Coach Released From EMU Staff After Pleading Guilty to Assault

June 18, 2013Last updated June 19, 2013 by Bonnie Price Lofton

Gary Moore, the men’s head volleyball coach at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) since Oct. 1, 2012, has been released from employment at EMU as of June 18, 2013.

“In an effort to let the justice process come to fruition and to allow a person charged to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, we retained Gary Moore on staff under close supervision until the charges were resolved,” said Ken L. Nafziger, who oversees athletics as EMU’s vice president for student life.

Gary Moore (center)

“By his plea, Gary has admitted that he is guilty of a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery against a male inmate while he was employed by the Virginia Department of Corrections prior to his employment at EMU,” said Nafziger.

“The facts that emerged today at a hearing at the Circuit Court of the City of Chesapeake differed significantly from what we were previously led to believe.”

The judge issued Moore a six-month suspended jail sentence, plus a $250 fine and payment of court costs. He was placed on two years of unsupervised probation.

“This is an extremely sad day for both Gary and our men’s volleyball team, given the positive conversations and experience in volleyball that he and his players reported to me and the director of athletics,” said Nafziger.

The charge apparently stemmed from an incident on June 20, 2012. Moore was charged Oct. 2, 2012, but was not arrested until Feb. 4, 2013, when he was booked and released from Rockingham County Jail.

Moore played one season of volleyball at EMU in 1996 before transferring to George Mason University.

Director of Athletics Dave King said the search for a new head men’s volleyball coach will begin immediately.